Biggest threat to the SOW series

[robtek]

@loco-s

that seems to be a solution, but there is this one little problem:
you have to have an internet connection to make it work.
The unlocking-file must be small enough to send it by email and
crypted enough to make it safe.

[6S.Manu]

Originally Posted by Loco-S

I have all the IL2 disks up to Forgotten battles, and I dont have 1946 ( not yet...I have it on order), reading this post left me thinking...what if. you buy the game and the cd/dvd only contains the basic info on the game, but you have to log in your CD key ( which will be tied up to your game/name and customer number) to download the part that makes the game work?..not like steam that verifies the game, but an actual and critical part of the game that without it the game will not work?....sounds like a good alternative., and that part downloaded can only be unlocked with your name/customer number?....and at no time can be the same number more than once online, hard coded on the game.

So hacker will crack that part of the game with a hacked critical part (stolen by a original game).

I own Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts; if you are connected to internet you have to login as registered user (inserting cdkey during craation of the account), if not the disk must be inserted (and antipiracy system will activate).

Private lobby for online play.

I think this is the good way since many games are directed the online gameplay.

[Krt_Bong]

Originally Posted by Oktoberfest

Well I bought the original IL2 CD but I use it with a no CD crack because the anti-piracy technology make it that my DVD driver can't identify the CD ten out of eleven times. It was really a pain just to INSTALL the game because I had to relaunch ten times the CD player to get it working. I have that since the AEP.

I'm sure games were better protected when you had real stuff inside of the box than just 1 copy of the game and nothing else. I remember Silent Hunter or Panzer Commander where you had tons of documentation about the ships or vehicles you were using or fighting plus short stories over events, etc. Today, well.... you know.

This was a problem a while back for those of us who installed Pacific Fighters I don't think it's a problem now because the US version of 1946 plays without being in drive I myself dread having to do a reinstall because I DL'd the SOM and 46 and I have to get my hands on a copy of 46 before I reformat (soon) but at $20 it's worth it. I own the original the Forgotten Battles, Aces Expansion and PF, I also use a no cd rts.dll but that came from UBI after much complaining about the right of a company to use software that makes my burner inoperable or to say what legal programs I have installed are allowed by a game program.

[K_Freddie]

I have mentioned a form of copy encryption on the UBI Oleg room, I hope he's taken note !

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by Feuerfalke

Back in the old days and partially upcoming again was the most effective and unproblematic copy protection ever invented: Complex games with tons of handbooks and goodies in the box.

All it takes is one guy with a bit of patience and a scanner to circumvent that.

Originally Posted by Urufu_Shinjiro

The absolute best anti-piracy measue out there is one of the oldest. A good, old-fashioned CD-Key. I "download" a lot of games to try them out before I spend money (and yes, I DO buy the ones I like and unistall the rest) and the ones that I run out and buy the fastest are the good games that require a valid cd-key to play online. A good Example, GTR2, all the guys in my squad were getting into this game and everytime I got on TS to fly with them they were racing. So I downloaded a copy to try it out, I could run the single player stuff no problem but when I wanted to run with my squad I couldn't without a cd key. I noticed right away it was a great game and because of the cd key issue I bought this game the very next day. I would have bought it to support the developer eventually but it may have been a few weeks, bue to the cd key being required for online play I bought it the next day. I know others who are not as scrupulous as me and ONLY buy a game when the cd key is required for online play.

I agree.. though not fool proof... it helps. This Eliance thing sounds good... that and a CD key might be the ticket. But that kind of stuff usually inspires those who are bent on cracking a game...

Originally Posted by Bobby109

I don't think they have to worry about piracy when it comes to IL2 and BOB. If you spend 200-500 dollars or euros to buy a hotas, track ir etc... I think it's safe to say you'll spend the 10-40 €/$ for the game too.

Originally Posted by BadAim

Bollox. A thief is a thief.

+1

Originally Posted by BadAim

I'm no more a lover of copy protection than you are, especially when it causes problems like securom does, it's the suggestion that a lower price will stop thievery..... If people would stop stealing the stuff the prices would go down on thier own because the software companies would stop wasting time and money on preventing theft.

It's the idea that piracy is the software companies fault that wrangles me (you might get me to listen in Microsoft's case). Guy's like Maddox and crew are not going to get rich on thier software, how can we take the bread from thier table and say it's thier own fault for not locking the door?

I meant no personal attack but I'm passionate about the subject as I protect peoples property for a living.

+!

[tater]

One way to go cheaper, and still make the required revenue stream is more, paid updates.

I'd personally be fine with a subscriptive service. I've held a ww2ol account since before 2001 (I was a beta tester). I maintain it even though I don't play much because I love the idea of it, and $12/mo is no big deal to support it. The few hours a month I play are well worth the $12, I'd spend far more in the same few hours at the bar on beer.

Many in the il-2 crowd view any kind of subscriptive model as anathema, but I think it's a good idea. I remember playing WarBirds when it was $2 an HOUR. I had many many months of multi hundred dollar tabs. Worth every penny, too.

[TUSA/TX-Gunslinger]

I liked the idea of the 700 page manual.

Unfortunately, someone with too much time on their hands would quickly scan it to PDF.

I think the "check registration" at online login may be most effective.

[Bobby109]

Originally Posted by TUSA/TX-Gunslinger

I liked the idea of the 700 page manual.

Unfortunately, someone with too much time on their hands would quickly scan it to PDF.

I think the "check registration" at online login may be most effective.

Yes but even so a pdf file certainly is NOT the same thing as a book you can look at while playing the game.

a cdkey + a nice book would be good enough i think. Software protection can in most cases be cracked and only the buyers of the game will be punished.

but again $3-500 equipment vs $30 game, if you're stealing the game then i think it's someone that never would have played it anyway. I don't care if it's just a blank box with a disc in it, i'm getting it either way. Only thing that would stop me from getting it would be starforce or similar...

[Bearcat]

Between printing and shipping how much would that add to the cost of the game?

[QuietMan]

a good question would be how much is gained from today copy protection at all?

music industry is a good example how managers try to use piracy to cover their own inability. After latest actions again P2P piracy gone down but same time sales dropped to record low, so what?

It is plain stupid to think that anyone who steals a sports car would buy one if he can't steal one. Porsche could easily make their cars impossible to steal buy introducing a delay of 1 hour from opening the door to starting the engine. Only small problem: Who would buy such a car?

Game distributors need to invent a lock that is as easy to use and fail save like today car locks. Beside this they need to concentrate on the people who plan to buy their products and not on the people who plan to steal it.

There are companies making billions $ from easy to use music downloads and handy tunes while the music industry is searching for a way to turn time back.

QuietMan